Homebound

Awake on our last morning in Oxwich to a cooler cloudy day, but no rain. After breakfast, we packed out bags loaded the car and checked out. After a short walk on the beach we were on the road by ten thirty, and home by twelve thirty, with all the domestic post-holiday tasks to do. Fortunately it didn't rain, and by mid afternoon a load of washing was blowing dry in the wind.

Clare had booked a consultation with a homeopath living in Thornhill at five, so we had another half hour journey in the car to reach there and find the place. Near to the housing area where the consultant lives is a large open green space with a couple of football pitches, and an expanse of woodland which runs all the way up to the M4 motorway. I parked there and walked for an hour around the woodland and the pitches for my daily exercise quota, then collected Clare for the return journey. She cooked us a comforting lentil dish with veggies for supper.

I was too tired to do much after three hours of the day spent driving, so I spent the evening binge watching 'Spiral of Lies', the latest French crimmie to appear on Walter presents. An interesting story of unforeseen tragic consequences arising from a falsified cover-up story given by a victim who escapes a serial killer, and cannot escape further consequences sixteen years later. A moral fable, sort of 

Third time lucky

Good to wake up and see blue sky and sea outside our hotel window. A few brief showers, and the same strong wind from the west, but basically a warm fine day, good for walking. After breakfast we followed a walking path across the dunes to the far end of the nature reserve, a path mostly parallel to the road before turning down to the shore. Interesting to encounter a couple of men with large butterfly nets out in the open heathland. They were probably checking on insect populations in this part of a special ecosystem. 

Having walked more than usual yesterday we found walking hard going today. I wore my hiking boots but found they hurt my feet with an extra insole, so I had to stop and remove them half way along the beach as we returned. It gave me an excuse to stop at the beach cafe for a cup of coffee and a banana. Unusually the cafe sold fresh fruit among its snacks and fast food. I needed to rest when I returned to our room, paying the price for yesterday's extra mileage. Old age taking its retribution on me!

As the tide was in, Clare was determined to make another effort to go for a swim, so we went down to the shore, and this time at the second attempt she was successful. As well as banks of pebbles washed in by the tide, the sand of the foreshore is littered with smaller ones which are uncomfortable to tread on when barefooted, and not visible when wading out to swimming depth, so finding the least pebble strewn spot to enter the water is necessary, and this involved us moving further up the beach, hoping the breeze didn't spring up again. In the end she waded out painlessly, swam for five minutes and was satisfied.

I uploaded the day's photos after returning to our room. We listened to the news before going down for an early supper. Clare had the three bean chilli and rice, which turned out again to be mostly chick peas. I had roast chicken with spuds and peas in a wine and mushroom sauce. Clare ordered a chocolate mousse for pudding, but had to wait a long time for it to be served, as the dining room had filled up after us and there were half a dozen tables waiting for their main course, so it was eight o'clock when we asked for our bill on the way out. As there's been a school field trip party working from the hotel to be fed and watered this past few days, the staff must have been run off their feet with a restaurant to run as well. It's good to know they get used for educational groups, as well as being a wedding party venue. It helps maintain the hotel as a viable business concern way out into a rural area.

No evening stroll tonight, needing to rest my complaining ankle before returning home tomorrow. More reading of 'La Sombra del Viento' to finish the holiday.

At the hide

Up at eight thirty under an overcast sky for a full cooked breakfast in the hotel dining room. Already there was a group of youngsters on the beach preparing for a canoeing lesson in the shallow waters of the bay with the tide right out. It was eleven by the time we emerged to walk along the beach to the far end of the nature reserve. 

When we were last here at the end of November last year, the bridge across the river nearest the beach had been lifted off its foundations by a tidal storm surge and deposited several metres upstream. It no longer bridges the water, but has ended up along the river bank. Whether taken there by another storm surge or moved there by human intervention it's impossible to determine. Its large metal frame and decking is still intact, and must weight a ton or more.

A hundred metres upstream is a second bridge which has been there for some years, though we never had cause to use it as it takes you back inland at the bottom of a steep hill which is home to Nicholaston woods with its own separate walking trail. Now it's the only way to cross the river dry shod, and then you have to double back along the river bank on the other side to reach the dunes along the shore. 

A brief reconnaissance of the path revealed a constructed water channel runs alongside it, parallel to the river which winds it way through the wetland into the lake above it. I'm intrigued to know what purpose the channel once served. I suppose it could have fed a water mill somewhere along the shore beneath the woods. The water from the channel now drains out into another patch of wetland behind a large area of dunes, rich with its own flora and fauna. What a superb natural environment this is! Always something new to discover, and understand.

There's new Wales Coast Path branded signage on the main walking route across the nature reserve since we were here last. It serves dedicated walkers well, as do the enclosures of protected areas with new stiles and gates, making it easy for those who like to wander and inspect the astonishing variety of plants. Again I traversed the reserve and headed for the hide by the pond. It was quiet and I only saw a moorhen, and a couple of martins  skimming the water to take a drink.

On the way back to the hotel, I called into the village shop and drank a coffee from a china mug, sitting at at table for a change, rather than having a takeaway in a paper cup.  Clare called me and said she wanted to go for a swim, so I joined her on the beach, but as soon as she undressed and entered the water it began to rain, and there was no shelter for me or her, so extracting ourselves without getting soaked through was a bit challenging. I needed a sleep when we got back to our room, and showers continued on and off until mid afternoon when the clouds parted and the sun came out.

We walked together up to the hide. Swifts and swallows were active after the rain, even flying in and out of the hide through its open windows. In the roof space are a couple of nests and recent droppings suggest they have been occupied this year but are not currently in use. A couple of moorhens were in and out of the water, and at one moment we saw a small raptor rise up from an island of reeds and hover for a while before dropping like a stone. I heard the sound of a splash which may have been coincidental. It wasn't a big bird of prey. Googling brought up the possibility that it was a Merlin and that it could have spotted a large dragonfly. I observed one over the water earlier, about twenty metres away, and the bird would have been closer to it than I and with much better eyesight. I got a photo of it hovering, but it's not in sharp focus and no colouration is visible against the bright sky. A small moment of excitement anyway.

We sat outside the village shop and had a drink on our way back to the hotel then had supper at six. I ate three bean chilli again tonight, except that it wasn't three bean. It was made with chickpeas instead, and was hotter than what I ate last night. I didn't complain. It may have been a chef's mistake, and it certainly wasn't a culinary catastrophe. Clare had a huge dish of fish and chips which she struggled to get through. Afterwards we went for a walk up to the church and then back along the beach at low tide, with another group of youngsters having a canoeing lesson off-shore, at eight in the evening. No more rain, but still lots of cloud on the move. More changeable weather tomorrow I suspect.

Footsore after walking over eight miles today, an end to the day uploading photos and reading.

Slightly lost on the Coast Path

After a refreshing night's sleep, I posted today's morning prayer link to WhatsApp at seven, then listened to the news before walked the short distance to the hotel for a delicious cooked breakfast at half past eight.

Then we pulled on our hiking boots and set out along the beach for Three Cliffs Bay. When we reached the river flowing out of the nature reserve at the far end of Oxwich beach we were surprised to see that it had changed course. Instead of running straight into the sea, it's created a big S-bend in the sand. 

The first of the two bridges upstream was washed off its foundations by a strong tide last winter I think, but it looks as if it's been washed a bit further upstream since then. It's constructed of a steel framework with strong wooden decking. Although heavy, a strong tidal surge when river level is high would be strong enough to lift and shift it. 

On the other hand, the river water, reduced to a slow trickle in time of drought, when most of the sandy riverbed dries out and tides don't come in as far as the bridge, would make its own way to the sea across the surface along a line of least resistance, not straight, but S-shaped. I recall hearing about this in school geography classes sixty five years ago, but this is one of the few instances since then, that I've seen this combination of natural forces at work in the real world.

We followed the coast path from the bridge, running between the lower edge of Nicholaston Woods and the sand dunes. After a while it begins to climb up steeply to the ridge and the coast path signage became rather misleading. We climbed up too high and reached a farm unexpectedly. We couldn't work out where the coast path ran, as we'd taken a wrong turning. We retraced out steps, found the signed path again, but after a spell of walking uphill, walking down again took its toll on our leg joints, so we turned back, about a mile from our destination. Next time we'll just trek along the shore line as far as we can before going up and over the ridge above Three Cliffs Bay. By the time we reached Ivy Cottage, footsore and tired, we had been walking for over four hours, and done seven miles, including diversions. 

The tide was by this time on its way out, and I got a few photos of Dunlin feeding at close range along the line of the last tiny breaking wave, plus one in flight, I was well pleased with. We also glimpsed a couple of buzzards riding the thermals above Nicholaston cliffs, but just for a moment, disappearing too quickly to switch on the camera. It's just great to know they are still there during the avian 'flu epidemic.

We opted to have supper at tea-time, as we'd just had fruit and a hot drink while out walking. We both had fish and chips, which went down well after such strenuous exercise. After Clare's nightly injection ritual at the hotel again, early bed, hoping for another long walk after breakfast and vacating our room tomorrow morning, weather permitting. Then we return to Cardiff after lunch before it gets dark and life returns to normal. I wish we lived nearer!

Three Cliffs walk triumph

After a good long sleep and late cooked breakfast, we were ready for a long walk. It was mild and overcast with high cloud, and we headed out along the shore to see how far we could walk. For the first time in many years, perhaps ten, Clare and I walked all the way to Three Cliffs Bay and back. Kath and Anto did it last summer, but we couldn't manage the full distance, which is about 12km, longer with diversions, but today's total was over 16km - ten miles. I felt terribly tired and was walking at a much reduced pace on the home leg. The steep uphill sections of the walk were very taxing, but we survived!

On the way back, I made a diversion to look at the lakeside hide. The approach path is being refurbished, and much of the overgrown reed bed has been cut back, not just for visibility but to free space for aquatic birds to use. As I opened a hide window a magnificent heron made a long take-off run across the water - too fast to get out a camera, but a lovely sight anyway.

We drove to the Smuggler's Beach bar restaurant in Port Eynon for supper, where we had enjoyable meal of a high standard served by a staff team, all of whom looked as if they were under twenty five. Impressive.

Then we retired to the hotel lounge with a bottle of Pinot Noir to sit before a log fire, and spent the rest of the evening talking and relishing the moment.

Time for Windows running out

It rained overnight, and again while we were packing up to leave Oxwich this morning. We had to check out of our accommodation by ten, so we arranged to have our final cooked breakfast together afterwards and then parted company for the journeys home. Amazing that while other places had rain and even floods we had four warm days without rain. We reached Cardiff just after half past one, and my first job was to pick up the week's veggy bag. As we had breakfast late, we just had a snack and I cooked supper instead, after taking an hours walk around the park.

There was work to catch up on, relating to Carole's funeral in two week's time, drafting an order of service and working on a eulogy for which I'd already received substantial notes. When I switched on my desktop PC it immediately went into update mode, only this time it took more than half an hour to complete which was most annoying. As ever, Chromebook came speedily to the rescue. I didn't bother with my Windows laptop, just in case it wanted to delay me with an update - although it does everything five times faster - I just didn't want any more delay. Updating to Windows 11 may not be possible with my desktop PC as its hardware may not be adequate for the upgrade. If this turns out to be the case, I shall convert it to Linux Mint, as I know it will run much faster. I might not wait that long, if it annoys me any more. Fancy a key software upgrade designed in a way that make older hardware redundant. It sounds like a scam to me.

After a couple of hours of work it was time to turn in, the events of the day left me feeling very tired. It's funny to return from a refreshing holiday break and still feel tired. I think it may be something to do with  being confined to the same area and the same routines day after day for so many months. The stimulus of being in a different less familiar place and socialising with family somehow take their toll. A consequence of growing old? 

Traditional Sunday worship reimagined

Such an amazing change in the weather this morning, sunshine and blue sky with decorative clouds until mid afternoon, and showers only a little later.

We walked to St Illtud's for the ten o'clock service. This was a Liturgy of the Word only, what Greeks would call a 'Liturgical Synaxis'. It had several well chosen different prayers to start with, and led by four different lay members of the congregation, not wearing liturgical robes. It was beautifully done, relaxed and confident. The people were as welcoming this week as last, and we were happy that we could stay and chat over a drink for half an hour afterwards. 

Altogether it was a lovely experience of being part of a worshipping Christian community. A weekly Sunday Eucharist in each church is not possible with parochial re-grouping, but the alternative really shows how lay worship ministry can shine, even in a conventional and traditional conservative setting.

The sermon slot was dedicated to a TEAR Fund presentation by a young women who is their regional representative in Wales. She spoke about a video which was shown, telling the story of a Nigerian woman's struggle to feed her family in an inland regions acutely impoverished by climate change and structural economic injustice. It showed what TEAR Fund was able to offer in developing women's self-help groups which operated a form of credit union style savings club, and mutual support in learning and adopting new agricultural resources. 

Central to this initiative is bible study and a church planting project. It's a matter of indifference what the religious label of the church might be, what counts is the integrated approach to making life worthwhile and full of the Gospel in practice. It was simply presented and thoughtful. It reminded me of the years I spent working as USPG Area Secretary in Wales. Gower was one of the places I got to visit and work during those years.

We treated ourselves to Sunday lunch in the Oxwich Bay Hotel. It was traditional fare, meat and five veg. A veggie option for Clare and a handsome chunk of roast lamb for me. More than enough to fuel another beach walk, plus a visit to the bird-wby atching hide in the marsh later on.

We are debating about returning to Cardiff tomorrow instead of Tuesday morning, as another rainy day may cramp our style yet again, and we're nervous at the prospect of flooded roads recurring. We'll see.

Rain constrained

Another day of low cloud and spells of heavy rain, with so much rain overnight that the road through the village contained huge puddles of water all day. We drove up to the main road, intending to visit Rhossili, but a quarter of a mile south and the road was flooded, making it difficult for some cars to get past, Clare felt a bit nervous about risking our little Polo, not knowing whether it would be high enough to avoid water getting into the electrics, so we turned around and headed north towards Parkmill only to encounter another flooded road section a mile or so further along.. So we turned around again and went back to the bungalow, parked the car and went through the huge puddles down to the beach.

In the hour or so we knew we had before the rain returned Clare wanted to walk along the sea shore, but I wanted to walk to the far end of the bay on the road through the marsh, climb up the hill and take some photos of the bay from higher up. It's not safe to stop on the side of the road up the hill, as it's too narrow. So we parted company. Clare soon rang me, excited to say there were scores of surfers out in the bay, taking advantage of the weather conditions. Interesting photo opportunity, but I had already walked over half a mile to get to the hill for another photo opportunity.

I found on the hillside the way into Nicholaston Wood, the deciduous tree clad south east facing slope overlooking the Bay, with a footpath which takes you on a headland route to Three Cliffs Bay, rather than one which hugs the shore. It's ancient woodland, full of huge mature trees, a wonderful walk we must try out in future. I went along the parth a third of a mile before turning back, as it started to rain. 

Half way back along the road to Oxwich there's a bird-watching hide in a reed bed overlooking an extensive pond, a twitcher's paradise. I was getting quite soaked and took refuge there from the rain. It was a beautiful, numinous experience, silent apart from rain falling, and the occasional sound of a duck hidden in the reeds. I saw a family of eight mallards, a teal and pair of little grebes, (aka dabchicks) and a pair of swans, which surprised me by taking off, flying a circuit and landing again in full sight, just after I'd put my camera away. A wonderful moment I wish I could have shared.

The rain eventually slackened. I was getting cold, so I made a dash for it, stopping at the Dunes Cafe for a hot chocolate and an overpriced bottle of cheap wine, since we couldn't go out shopping for one as planned. Clare got back before me and had cooked a welcome hot lunch, for which I arrived, just in time. Later in the afternoon, the rained stopped again, and we walked to the Oxwich Bay Hotel for a cup of tea and a seat by an open log fire in the lounge as it was getting dark. 

Then, back through the puddles for supper and another two unmissable episodes of 'Spiral' on BBC Four. Money laundering corruption in high places, deceit, revenge, and the amazing Audrey Fleurot in an archetypal Jezebel role. She can do tragic/pathetic victim and sinister scheming vengeance equally. And she never over-acts. Just brilliant!

Return to Oxwich in view

A lethargic start to the week, but I did get around to doing the main week's shopping before lunch. We've been deliberating about where to spend our two week break all over the weekend, having made the vital decision that it should be somewhere in the Gower, since it's only an hour and a half drive from home. It was one of our favourite places to go in times past. When I checked through my photo archive, I found that we'd been there six times - twice for a week's stay, and four day trips over the past fourteen years, all before I started spending lots of time in Spain.

It's hard to believe we haven't returned there, not even for a day trip since October seven years ago, and it's ten and a half years since we last stayed there in the Oxwich Bay Hotel. At that time the place had a passing resemblance to 'Fawlty Towers', but since then it's undergone a makeover and been transformed into an up-market place to stay with a gourmet menu - including, as Clare recounted with delight, an Argentinan Malbec on their wine list, labelled bi-lingually in Welsh and Spanish, as it comes from Patagonia.

Sadly the prices are well beyond of our budget now, but after agonising over a fortnight at a house in Newton, part of Mumbles, and a holiday bungalow in Oxwich Bay, we opted for the latter. No wi-fi and a flaky phone signal, but within earshot of the sea, and a wonderful stretch of saline marshland behind the beach, designated as a Special Site of Scientific Interest - a great place for birdwatching, if my memory serves me well. Lots of wild nature more than compensates for a slender digital diet.

It's all booked now, and we'll be getting ready to go there two weeks from now.

Cheating the rain in Gower

With every weather forecast promising rain during the day, I thought I was losing my argument that it would be still worthwhile driving to the Gower because the rain would only be short-lived. In the end, we set out with boots and rain gear on board, and headed out west on the A48, to have a peek at the Vale of Glamorgan on our way to join the M4 at Kenfig. We stopped briefly en route to look at St Hilary's twelfth century Parish Church, and admire the views over to North Devon from the edge of the village. Knowing well the congregation there, I was certain the church would be open for us to look around, and my faith was justified.

The roads right through to the Gower were not busy, and no rain came until we got to Arthur's Seat/stone, on Cefn Mawr, the backbone of the peninsula. We had a five minute shower, and that was it for the day. Sun, wind, clouds, and it wasn't too cold to walk on Oxwich Bay beach for a couple of hours after a good lunch in the Oxwich Bay Hotel. So good to be able to share our favourite local places with good friends. All that fresh air made us very sleepy, and I had to fight against dozing off at the wheel all the way home. Although it was gone six when we arrived, everyone went and had a snooze except me. A cup of tea in front of the telly was enough to keep me going until late supper time.